Semyon Varlamov has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a top goalie this season. But there was a reason the Washington Capitals used a first-round pick to draft him in 2006 when he was an 18-year-old playing in Russia: He has always had major talent.

It wasn’t until Varlamov was reinvented as a goalie last year, starting with a summer visit to new Avalanche goalies coach Francois Allaire in Switzerland, that his promise was converted into big-time success. While Allaire and Avs coach Patrick Roy have played major roles in Varlamov’s emergence this season, none of it would have been possible without the time and dedication put in by a goalie who once had a reputation for not working as hard as he needed.

“I admit, I never worked as hard as I have this year,” said Varlamov, who set a Avalanche franchise record with 41 victories, topping Roy’s mark from 2000-01. “But once I saw what they want to teach me, it makes me want to work harder. I knew this could make me better.”

Varlamov, 25, is a contender for the Vezina Trophy, given to the league’s best goalie as judged by general managers. A year ago, many wondered if the native of Samara, Russia, would have a future in Denver beyond his forthcoming final year of his contract. His statistics from the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season were among the worst in the NHL for No. 1 goalies: 11-21-3 record, with a .903 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average.

Suddenly, two of the biggest names in the history of goaltending — Roy and Allaire — were to become his new bosses after sweeping changes in the front office. Roy couldn’t have been too impressed with Varlamov’s numbers but decided he would give him a chance to be his guy. He had one warning: Allaire is a taskmaster, and he might be asked to change his style to succeed.

It was during a week-long visit with Allaire in Switzerland, where the coach runs an offseason camp for goalies, that the first positive indications about Varlamov’s willingness to work hard as well as adapt. Varlamov also spent two weeks in Montreal last summer working with Allaire and backup Avs goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

“I saw a guy who was really committed to almost starting over in some ways, which is a really tough thing to do when you’re already a pro,” Giguere said. “But the same thing that happened to me when I first played for Francois in Anaheim, I could see happening to Varly too. You just have to really put in the time and effort, but the reward is there if you are willing to push yourself. But it’s not easy.”

Varlamov was thrilled to suddenly be under the tutelage of the coach who was credited with mentoring his boyhood idol, Roy, as a young player with Montreal in the 1980s. Previously, the job of goalies coach belonged to Kirk McLean. Privately, there was some grumbling among the goalies about McLean’s methods, along with him being available only on a part-time basis.

Although the job still was classified as part-time, Allaire was around the Avs much more this season, and on the days he wasn’t there was always a guy named Roy for the goalies to bounce ideas off. It didn’t take Roy long to believe Varlamov was a guy he could both work with and believe in. It all came down to work ethic and a willingness to listen.

“He was very receptive to our teaching,” Roy said. “He worked extremely hard. I could see it and so could Francois. It was a matter of putting the lessons into place, and he (did) the rest.”

One of the biggest changes implemented by Allaire was repositioning Varlamov’s catching glove, from palms-up, down low to palms-down, up high. That helped take away space for shooters to aim high, especially when he dropped into the butterfly style. Varlamov’s positioning resembles that of a cornered lobster, darting side to side to face his attacker with his claw outstretched, hoping to snare his prey.

“We faced him at times when I was in Tampa Bay and he always had talent, but you can see how he’s improved now,” said New York Rangers winger Martin St. Louis.

Not that this season has been all rainbows for Varlamov. Far from it. In November he was charged with misdemeanor assault on his former girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk. The allegations were ugly but through it all Varlamov remained steadfast in his innocence, and he had the unwavering support of Roy and Joe Sakic, the Avs’ executive director of hockey operations.

While Varlamov’s performance took a tumble shortly after the allegations against him — he lost four of his next six starts, including losses of 6-4 and 7-3 — the incident never became a big distraction in the Avs’ dressing room. Varlamov was confident of his exoneration, and on Dec. 20, the lone charge remaining against him, for misdemeanor assault, was dropped by the Denver district attorney’s office because of insufficient evidence.

Management’s support of him strengthened the bond between Varlamov and the team. In January, he was rewarded with a five-year contract extension worth $29.5 million.

“He’s been our MVP all year, no doubt,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “He’s given us a chance to win some games that we might not always have deserved.”

All the hard work has paid off, but Varlamov knows there is more to be done. Goalies make their “money” reputations in the playoffs, and Varlamov never has appeared in a postseason game with the Avs. He has 19 games of playoff experience, all with Washington, and has a winning record: 10-9, with a .915 save percentage, including a series victory against the Rangers in 2009. He made his playoff debut that season as a 21-year-old.

“I hadn’t played many games in the NHL, and suddenly I was playing in the playoffs,” Varlamov said. “It was kind of crazy for me. I’m not sure I was ready for those games 100 percent mentally, but I think the team played well at that time, and it helped me a lot. I was young, and I didn’t have to think a lot to play those games. I feel like I know more now, but of course this is no guarantee of success.

“Playoffs are always tough, no matter what. But this is what we worked so hard for, so it’s exciting. This year has been like a dream come true so far, to learn from men who won Stanley Cups. I am very lucky.”

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